Ingredients
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6 large eggs, separated sugar 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt vanilla extract 2 large oranges 2 tablespoons orange-flavor liqueur (optional) 1 32-ounce container ricotta cheese 1 8-once package cream cheese, softened confectioners' sugar semisweet-chocolate mini pieces 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 3 tablespoons milk 2 cups heavy or whipping cream
Procedure
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Early in day or day ahead:
In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks
form. Beating at high speed, gradually sprinkle in 1/2 cup sugar, 2
tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar
completely dissolves and whites stand in stiff peaks. Preheat over to
375F. In small bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat egg yolks, flour,
baking powder , salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2
tablespoons water until blended. Gently fold one-third beaten egg-white
mixture into yolk mixture, then fold yolk mixture into remaining whites.
Spoon batter into ungreased 10 by 3 springform pan. Bake 30 to 35
minutes, until cake is golden and top springs back when lightly touched
with finger. Invert cake in pan on wire rack; cool completely.
Grate enough peel from oranges to measure 2 teaspoons peel; set aside.
Squeeze enough juice from oranges to measure 1/3 cup juice. (If not using
liqueur, increase orange juice to 1/2 cup.) Stir orange-liqueur into
juice; set aside. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat ricotta
cheese, cream cheese, grated orange peel, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, and
1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup
semisweet-chocolate mini pieces. With metal spatula, gently loosen cake
and remove from pan. With serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 2
layers. Brush orange-juice mixture evenly over cut side of both layers.
Place 1 cake layer, cut-side up, on plate. Spoon ricotta-cheese filling
on center of cake layer. Spread some filling out to edge, leaving center
rounded to achieve a dome effect. Cut a wedge out of remaining cake
layer; arrange wedge and rest of cake layer over filling. (Cutting wedge
will allow cake layer to bend, without cracking, to fit over dome shape.)
In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter or margarine,
milk, 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
until smooth, adding more milk if necessary until frosting has an easy
spreading consistency. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat
heavy or whipping cream until soft peaks form; fold confectioners' sugar
mixture into whipped cream. spread frosting over top and down side of
cake. In 1-quart saucepan over low heat, heat 1/3 cup semisweet-chocolate
mini pieces until melted. Spoon melted chocolate into small decorating
bag with small writing tube (or, use paper cone with tip cut to make
1/8-inch diameter hole) Pipe chocolate on top of cake in a spiral design,
starting in center and moving to edge of cake. Before chocolate hardens,
quickly with tip of toothpick or small knife, draw lines in spoke fashion.
Make spokes about 1 1/2 inches apart around edge of cake; alternate
direction of each spoke, first from edge to center of cake, then from
center to edge to make feather design. Refrigerate cake until filling is
firm for easier cutting, about 3 hours.
